Antifriction door latch



May 23, 1944. 1'. A. ovERBY ANTIFRICTION DOOR LATCH Filed March 2, 1942 w .v z 'w i a z L? W ATI'DRN EYE Patented May 23, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ANTIFRICTION DOOR LATCH Theodore A. Over-by, Aberdeen, S. Dak.

Application Marclr2, 1942, Serial No. 433,049

3 ClaimS.

This invention relates to door latches, and its general object is to provide a latch of the encased spring pressed slidably mounted bolt and strike plate keeper type, which is designed to reduce friction to a minimum between the bolt and the plate, as well as between the bolt and the casing, in that the bolt carries roller bearings to bring about free movement thereof relative to the case and strike plate, when the door is being closed, and the bolt holds the door in closed position against any possibility of becoming casually opened.

A further object is to provide an antifriction door latch, that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and extremely eicient in operation, use and service.

This invention also consists in certain other features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and speciflcally pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail, reference Will be had to the accompanying drawing wherein like characters denote like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of my latch with the cover plate of the case removed.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, illustrating the bolt in latched position.

Figure 3 is a similar view illustrating the action of the rollers relative to each other, and the casing and strike plate, just prior to the door assuming its closed position.

Figure 4 is a view of the bolt, looking toward the opposite side of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the letter A indicates a door, B the jamb thereof, the `jamb having the usual keeper recess C therein, and D indicates the strike plate, which is provided with an opening registering with the keeper recess, the plate having a cam face E for initially receiving the head of the bolt for retracting the same to allow the bolt to assume its position within the keeper recess.

My latch in the form shown includes a case having a knob spindle receiving tumbler 2 mounted therein and formed with tappet lugs 3 engaged with ears 4 on the ends of the bifurcated end portion 5 of the bolt for moving the latter to released position by the knobs, in the usual manner. The bolt is spring pressed to latched position by a spiral spring 6 mounted in a longitudinal extending slot 'l in the shank 8 of the bolt, and the spring has its end convolutions engaging the i'ear face of the head 9 of the bolt and a stop bracket Ill. the latter beingr fixed in the casing and extending into the slot 1, as shown in Figure 1, to cooperate with the bifurcated portion 5 and an opening in the case face plate I, within which the head 9 is slidably mounted, to guide the bolt in its movement.

The case is of course fixecl on the door, or within a mortise therein, as shown, for arrangement of the bolt to be received in the keeper means C, for holding the door in closed position, as will be apparent and clearly shown in Figure 2.

While the -above described elements are essential tomy latch, the important feature thereof lies in the bolt head which is shown as being of elongated formation and having fiat side and upper and lower faces, and th'e inner corner of the head is cut away from its outer end face I 2 to the side face |3 to provide a beveled face M.

The head is provided with a pair of diagonally arranged recesses |5 and IG respectively, the recess |5 openingY through the side face Il, while the recess HS opens through the beveled face |4. The recesses are of substantially semicylindrical formation, in that they have rounded inner Walls and they communicate with each other by an opening |8 through said walls. Each of the recesses has a roller therein, the roller |9 being journaled on a pin 20 in the recess |5 and the roller 2| on a pin 22 in the recess IE. The rollers extend through the opening |8 and bear against each other to reduce friction on the pins. The roller l9 also extends through the outer end of its recess and bears against the outer side wall 23 of the case and the roller 2| extends through the beveled face M to bear against the cam face E of the strike plate, as shown in Figure 3.

From the above description and disclosure in the drawing, it will be obvious that When the door is moved to closed position, the roller 2| will engage the cam face E, and retract the bolt against the action of its spring, to allow the head to pass the cam face and be received within the keeper means C to hold the door in closed position. It will be further obvious that the engagement of the roller 2| with the cam face E and the engagement of the roller l9 with the wall 23, as well as the engagernent of the rollers with each other, reduce friction to a minimum and bring about free reciprocation of the bolt, thus eliminating any possibility of the bolt binding and assuring free passage thereof into the keeper means.

It is thought from the foregoing description that the advantages and novel features of the invention will be readily apparent.

It is to be understood that changes may be made in the construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended clairns.

What I claim is:

l. In a latch bolt having an elongated body provided With a head at its outer end, the said head having a pair of recesses therein communicating with each other and opening through the front and a side edge of the head respectively, a pair of parallel rollers rotatably mounted in and contacting in the respective recesses` the said rollers having side portions protruding through the openings in the front and side edges of the head for contact with a keeper and the side wall of a bolt casing respectively.

2. In a latch bolt having a head provided with a pair of parallel roller receiving recesses, the said recesses being disposed to afford communication therebetween and arranged diagonally of the bolt head, one of the said recesses opening through the front edge of the head and the other recess opening through a side edge of the head, and a pair of rollers rotatably mounted in parallel contacting relation in the respective recesses, one of the said rollers having a side portion protruding through the front edge opening for contact with a keeper and the other roller having a side portion protruding through the side edge opening for contact with a bolt casing.

3. In a latch bolt, a head having a beveled face at the outer edge and provided with a pair of parallel roller receiving recesses communicating with each other and disposed diagonally of the head,` one of the said recesses opening through the beveled end face of the bolt and the other recess opening through a side edge thereof, a pair of pivot pins mounted centrally in the said recesses, and a pair of rollers rotatably mounted in the respective recesses and about the pivot pins in parallel contacting relation, one of the said rollers having a side portion protruding through the opening in the beveled face for contact with a keeper and the other roller having a side portion protruding through the opening in the side of the head for contact with a bolt casing.

THEODORE A. OVERBY. 

